Slatwall is used in a wide range of applications for storing and displaying products, tools, accessories, etc. A few examples of slatwall applications include use in retail display, closet storage, and office furniture (e.g., shelving). Briefly, a slatwall is a wall panel commonly formed of metal, pressed board, or other rigid materials into which a plurality of equidistantly spaced horizontal grooves are defined. The grooves will typically have a cross-section that is either L-shaped or T-shaped. Specially designed accessories, such as brackets, shelves, baskets, etc., are able to be fitted into the grooves defined in the slatwall so that items can be conveniently hung or otherwise supported thereon.
The specially designed accessories are typically mounted into the slatwall through the use of a flat base plate and a cantilever element for fitting into one of the grooves on the slatwall. The cantilever element is generally an L-shaped hook or tab that extends perpendicularly from the base plate and then forms a corner that turns upwards. The base plate is typically designed to rest flat against the surface of the slatwall to support the accessories such as hooks, racks, and shelves by attachment to its outer face. The L-shaped tab generally fits into the slatwall groove such that the vertical portion of the tab may bear against the inner surface of the groove, and the horizontal portion may sit on the lower groove ledge. To install the mounting bracket, the L-shaped tab is generally inserted into one of the grooves with the base plate oriented approximately perpendicular to the slatwall. The corner portion of the tab is then rotated downwards versus the slatwall groove ledge until the tab engages the groove, generally bearing against the inner surface of the groove while the base plate typically rests on the horizontal surface of the slatwall as provided by the groove.
While there are several configurations and variations of vertically-disposed slatwalls and their accompanying accessories, the Inventor is unaware of any slatwall device or apparatus that allows a slatwall accessory to be mounted to an overhead or horizontal surface, such as a ceiling or other horizontal surface. In some applications, however, unrelated to slatwall technology, certain snap clamps and other open-faced mounting devices have been designed to be mounted to an overhead surface and thereby facilitate the support and/or retention of items, such as wire or pipe. However, such open-faced mounting devices fail to provide a mounting device with an orientation or design suitable for the secure support of a slatwall accessory from an overhead or horizontal surface.